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Annie Hall

Annie Hall

List Price: $14.95
Your Price: $11.21
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Quintessential Woody, in arguably his best form..
Review: Plenty of reviews here claim this is Woody's best and I'm hard-pressed to differ: chronic New York neurotic/comedy writer Alvy Singer can't commit to anything except his own misery and falls in love (and meets his match in psychoses) with Annie Hall (Diane Keaton in her Oscar-winning role), the Waspy flibbertigibbet who wants more out of life but she's not sure what. Oscars also for Allen's direction, his screenplay (co-written by Marshall Brickman) and Best Picture. Look quickly for Jeff Goldblum's cameo ("I forgot my mantra") at Paul Simon's So. Cal. Party, John Glover in a flashback party scene with Annie, Shelley Hack in a sidewalk scene, veteran character actor Tracey Walter and Beverly D'Angelo in the sitcom tape Roberts is sweetening with a laugh track in an edit bay, Woody's longtime friend and future producer Jean Doumanian in the coke scene, and at the film's end Sigourney Weaver (trust me it's her, but it is in a long shot and no dialogue) as Alvy's latest girlfriend. Best reaction shot: Allen with Keaton and Walken in a car after Walken has proclaimed his sudden urges of death. Also, I too wish I could do what Allen does in shutting up a movie-line pontificator like he does with media expert Marashall McLuhan.

A superb and passionately funny film between the hot cold relationship between two people. Woody Allen delivers the goods in this terribly witty and romantic film, Diane Keaton matches his quality too. Expect to see neurotic behaviour from Allen as we get a firm grasp of the two main characters as their relationship develops. For me, this is an absolute pinnacle film of it's genre and should not be missed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I Loved being Part of the Movie, Didn't You?
Review: Annie Hall completely amazed me with its quick wit, humorous anecdotes
and its message. I felt it was great film in the way it presented Annie and Alvy as a mismatched, but lovable couple. I thought that Woody Allen
accomplished this by his innovative use of narrative. He broke the
standards in order to bring me closer to both main characters.

One technique, which I noticed from the start of the film, was
that Allen spoke directly to the camera. This made me feel that he was
directly speaking to me; I became a part of the conversation. Another
scene which I particularly liked was when he brought Marshall McLuhan
from behind the poster stand to insult the Columbia professor. I was
thinking that this would be the ideal situation. I oftentimes get into
arguments which I can't win, even though I am positively in the right. I was able to identify with Alvy's frustration simply because he looked at me and said,"Boy, if life were only like this". And I responded right back,"You're right".

I was also in conflict as to who I was suppose to like better. I
think that I was more sympathetic toward Annie because Allen
consistently showed me Alvy's hypocritical mannerisms and continual
attempts at controlling her life. For instance, when Alvy criticizes Annie's adult education, the screen cuts to a previous scene where Alvy praises adult education. I began to resent Alvy's lack of understanding and bigotry.

Also, I realized that the title of the film was Annie Hall. Thus,
the focus was on Annie through Alvy's eyes. At the end of the film, Alvy
and Annie are shown from a distance. As they say goodbye to one
another, flashbacks of their relationship are shown. Also, there is
background music: Annie sings "Seems like Old Times". The last person in
the film is Alvy. The last voice in the film is Annie. I became more linked to Annie because of the musical playback. It was quite amazing.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Unfunny and very 1970
Review: Woody Allen may have been funny once, but no longer. The age of the hyper-sensitive male is most definitely and thankfully over. Anyone who relates to Allen OR Keaton's character is troubled. Furthermore, Allen's humor is annoying and unconvincing - his own friend in the movie (Tony Roberts) looked like he wanted to punch him in the face half the time.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Woody's masterpiece
Review: This is certainly Woody's greatest film to date. It is not only riotously funny, but also compellingly human, with a warmth, genuineness and sincerity not so easily detected in some of the director's later films.

It is common to read Woody Allen's films in self-referential terms, the legitimacy of which he himself denies. His films, however, virtually cry out for such an interpretation, concerned as they are with the complex and often blurred interrelations of life and art, reality and fantasy (as here, and also, most notably, Deconstructing Harry, almost twenty years later). Plus Woody makes it so tempting to view his main characters not as "Alvie Singer" (his name in this picture), but as "Woody Allen". Virtually all his characters are neurotic writers or comedians with problem love-lives - in other words, the person who emerges from Woody Allen's pictures is the real-life Woody Allen. In Annie Hall, Woody reflects on past relationships, in particular his relationship with the girl of the title (played by Diane Keaton). It is dramatic and funny throughout, and ends on a surprisingly touching note.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Allen's Best
Review: This was the best movie Woody made from the time when he was still making great movies! It centers on Woody's on and off relationship with the ditzy Annie. Probably the movie that Seinfied got the humor for his show from! There are scenes like Woody standing in line for a movie that some loudmouth is explaining the meaning of to a bunch of women. When Woody disagrees with the man the man says that he should know because he teaches a college course about the movie to which Woody replies by bringing foward the movie's director. The director then tells the man he has no clue as to what the movie is about!

Another involves Michael Moriarity as Annie's wierd brother. He tells Woody that he fantasizes about wrecking his car when he is driving. Sure enough the next scene has Moriarity driving Annie and Woody home and Woody has this terrified expression on his face as Moriarity is driving.

There are so many more of these types of hilarious scenes! This is a great film to own so you could memorize the lines.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: excellent classic tale of relationships
Review: Diane Keaton is an Academy-Award winning wonder as the title character Annie Hall. Woody Allen dissects his relationship with this extraordinary woman in this film that uses a lot of sight gags and even animation at one point of a neurotic New York divorcee daing a Wisconsin transplant.

First of all, having only seen Diane Keaton's work in the late 1980s and 90s, I had no idea that she was so hot when she was younger. She makes men want to date her and women want to be her. Her acting as the natural Annie who dresses in menswear, drives a VW bug badly, and does pot and coke is amazing.

Woody Allen is funny as well as the older finicky Alvy Singer. He does not want to do pot and coke nor does he want Annie to. It is hilarious when he sneezes on the tray of coke and clows the white powder everywhere.

I highly recommend this film to everyone, all ages and all walks of life. Watch it and you will know why "we need the eggs".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: La Di Da Redux
Review: This film and Hannah and Her Sisters are my two favorites among Allen's many films. Of course there are brilliant scenes in the others but, in my opinion, they lack the seamless integration of acting, dialog, and narrative which Annie and Hannah possess. In any event, I enjoy seeing them more each time, in part because I see something I missed before. Alvy Singer (Allen) unexpectedly becomes involved with Annie Hall (Keaton). At least initially, neither he nor we know quite what to make of her. Over time, for various reasons, their relationship weakens. Each has needs the other really cannot fully satisfy. Both seem unable to enjoy themselves (hence their relentless introspection, self-doubts, insecurities, and therapy sessions) and probably for that reason, they have a very difficult time enjoying anyone else. For them, happiness is only temporary and always conditional. The supporting cast is among the strongest in Allen's films thus far. I especially enjoy the performances by Tony Roberts (Rob), Carol Kane (Allison), Christopher Walken (Duane Hall) and Colleen Dewhurst (Mom Hall). One of the most memorable scenes involves Marshall McLuhan (as himself) who corrects a pseudo-intellectual in the movie line. Paul Simon (Tony Lacey) and Sigourney Weaver (as Alvy's date) also make brief appearances. Annie Hall received an Academy Award as best film and Allen received two (for directing and co-writing best original screenplay with Marshall Brickman); Diane Keaton also received an Academy Award as best actress. The film is still refreshing and entertaining after more than 25 years. One other highly subjective opinion: unlike so many (perhaps even most) of Allen's other films, Annie Hall has many moments of tenderness and even poignancy amidst the always clever conversations. Allen has raised neurosis to new levels of self-revelation. To his credit, he never allows this film to dwell there as a permanent residence. Its charm as well as candor are wholly authentic and sustained until the inevitable conclusion.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Annie Hall has truly stood the test of time. And I loved it
Review: I have a confession to make.

Until now, I've never seen a Woody Allen movie.

Boy, I sure was a "miss out".

Annie Hall, made in 1977, is a classic. Why, oh why, did I wait so long?

First of all it's a story, and a very funny story at that, about a New York Jewish comedian, played by Woody Allen and his WASP girlfriend, played by Diane Keaton. It pokes fun at many social mores that we take for granted and I found myself laughing throughout. There's the New Yorker who never learns to drive, the mid-westerner who orders a pastrami sandwich on white bread with mayonnaise (which seems almost grotesque to a New Yorker like me), the pretentious movie critic, the neuroses of modern romances, and the differences between the New York and Los Angeles way of life.

The film runs along at such a fast pace that there is almost no time at all between funny moments. And, to make it even better, there are some wonderful film techniques. For example, while Diane Keaton and Woody Allen are talking about photography, there are subtitles on the screen about the physical relationship that they are really thinking about.

If the film were made today the phone calls would have been made on cell phones. But surprisingly, that is the only detail that might be changed. Annie Hall has really truly stood the test of time. And I loved it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Relational Angst at its Funniest
Review: The first thing that grabbed me about this film was the interaction with the viewer. When Woody Allen starts the film by illustrating its themes directly to the audience with a couple of jokes, I realized that this was not an ordinary romantic comedy. Furthermore, there are a number of scenes where the line between screen reality and fantasy are fantastically blurred. I especially enjoyed Alvy's experience while waiting in line at the movie theater. If only we could all have such an ample comeback!

The story doesn't have any tidy closure, and that's a lot more reflective of the general state of relationship today. No "happily ever after" here! Just confusion, laughter, love, and depression. Part of the joy in this film is seeing some brief cameos from the "soon to be famous" (Sigourney Weaver, Jeff Goldblum, etc). All in all, not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Woodman at His Best
Review: Whomever gives this classic less than 5 stars should be stricken from any list of movie reviewers...forever. You know nothing about media, and I have Mr. McLuhan right here to prove it! You're banished from all theaters, in perpetuity, as you may have a detrimental effect on your children and all succeeding generations.


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